Strange Darling
Icon Film Distribution
Certificate 18
*****
FrightFest 2024 was one of its strongest ever years and riding high on critical praise, JT Mollner’s Strange Darling. This startling, engrossing and truly thrilling experience captivated my attention from the first frame and will go on to become regarded as one of the true classics from the festival.
The movie plays with an adrenaline rush of plot, split over 6 chapters and an epilogue which are presented out of order to keep the audience guessing what exactly is going on. I’m not going to explain the plot except to say it concerns two people (mainly) who plan a night of extreme passion, but things just don’t go as planned.
Made with precision and a very keen eye for detail, Mollner manages to get every ounce of talent from Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner who are just electrifying together. This is Oscar standard acting. They are ably supported by charming comes from Ed Begley Jr and Barbara Hershey. Playing two aging hippies they add a ray of light relief to the ever increasing tension which eventually reaches a breathless climax.
Believe the hype, this is a superb piece of cinema which deserved a much bigger release than it did.
The 4K edition contains a superb transfer which handles the shading of specific scenes giving them a depth which dares you to look at subtle details. The soundtrack is pristine, sharp and clear which allows the superb score from Z Berg to become part of the narrative. By the way, this score is worthy of your money too!
The disc contains cast and crew interviews, TV spots and trailers whilst the collector’s edition also comes with Premium O-ring packaging, four collectible art cards and an A3 poster.
To sum up, this needs to be on everyone’s list this Christmas list whether you’re a fan of horror or not as it’s a prime slice of superb cinema.
